This week’s Challenge Question:
What is your plan or vision for a long-term plan for you, your country, the world or the human race? Leave your answer in the comments, send your email to weirdshow[[at]]gmail.com, record your message via the MobaTalk client on the right hand side of The WEIRD Show!, leave an answer on Facebook or call in at 206-203-2292.

There should be nothing more terrifying than the idea that we will run out of *everything* eventually; however, claims such as this of massive and imminent danger are so hard to accept that they seem as laughable as doomsayers that come out every year. But are these just bone-rattling cranks — or do we need to do something, something big, painful and effective? – WWF: Two planets by 2030

More dire predictions. Again, “global warming” is an unfortunately confusing term, meant to indicate *average* temperature change, and the more general term “climate change” is too broad and wishy washy. How about “disaster” or “unprecedented fluctuations in weather” (in human timescales, anyway). When the house is burning down, do we really have to point fingers at who might have lit the fire, or do we need to band together and grab buckets? – New Scientist: Energy Agency warns of 6C rise in temperatures

EXTRA: I know, I know: I shouldn’t personify the robot (although NASA did it first!) but this still makes me feel for the thing. In the future, will we be wiling to sacrifice robots with greater intelligence because they are “just” machines? (This was almost the CQ this week..) – New Scientist: Dying Mars lander to enter ‘Groundhog Day’ state

EXTRA: A truly horrifying story, isn’t it? Or is it? Fundamentally, is there really anything wrong with cannibalism? – MSNBC/AP: Migrant: We ate flesh to survive

EXTRA: A walk to school that involves a cliff face should be more exciting.. But not having flush toilets? Now *that’s* roughing it! – Mumbai Mirror/Google Cache: Vertical limit (Link no longer available)

EXTRA: Defining the terms carefully to make your point is a techique employed by all three groups, too.. Still, it’s nice to see critical thinking applied to the notion of critical thinking. – aboutSETI: Skeptics, Debunkers and Believers

EXTRA: … on the other hand, we can play the “he said, she said” game and pit the different groups against each other for fun and ink. – NewsOK/The Oklahoman: Paranormal phenomena and skeptics

EXTRA: If you go through it, you’ll be transported millions of miles in an instant — and then die in a fiery way. Actually, it’s a particle highway IIRC, and apparently lends some credence to a fringe model of the universe called “The Electric Universe”, which I keep meaning to look into.. – Space.com: Strange Portal Connects Earth to Sun

EXTRA: To some, this will seem like the ultimate invasion of privacy and they will call for banning all phones everywhere. To others, it is recognized as an example of how “total security” is a fairy tale. – ScienceDaily: A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Locksmiths

EXTRA: Law enforcement all over the world takes advantage of psychics to help in difficult cases. Are there any actual studies to see if they are effective at all? (Not that they are overwhelmingly accurate — even the complex legal system puts innocent people in jail or lets guilty people go free once and a while…) – The Moscow Times: Tapping Into the Supernatural to Crack Crimes

EXTRA: More examples of science being progressed by military minds. I’d prefer entertainment-driven science over this. Or even whim-based scientific investigation.. – Military.com: Army Working on Science’s Outer Limits

EXTRA: Remember: it is easier to destroy than to build. But, ultimately, it is worth more to build. – Popular Science: Robots That Hunt in Packs

EXTRA: Imagine that: after all the scares that people have had about plastics reacting to foodstuffs, now someone thinks “hey, I wonder if it reacts to chemicals as well?”. – New Scientist: Plastic not so fantastic for lab experiments

EXTRA: I guess that means that there is no one left to make claims on his body or possessions. His time-ravaged loincloth must be worth millions today! – MSNBC: Iceman mummy leaves few relatives

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